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Heating
& Cooling
Texas has tremendous climate swings throughout
the year and up to 50% of your home’s energy costs
come from operating your heating, ventilating, and
air conditioning (HVAC) system. Start by having a
certified HVAC technician properly maintain or
upgrade your HVAC equipment.
Energy efficient HVAC systems might cost more,
but they will more than pay for themselves over
their lifetime plus they can add value to your home.
Buying a bigger room unit won't necessarily mean
greater savings on your energy bills. In fact, a
unit that is too big for your space will operate
less efficiently and cost more money to power. Air
conditioners actually run better if they operate for
longer periods of time, rather than turning on and
off. You need to contact a certified HVAC technician
to properly size your unit to fits the needs of your
home.
To reduce the burden on your HVAC system, you
need to properly insulate your home to keep the cool
air inside your home in the summer and warm air
inside in the winter. See our insulation page for
more tips on insulating your home.
To further keep your heating and cooling costs
down, follow some of these helpful tips.
Heating Tips
-Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable in
the winter.
-Clean or replace air filters once a month.
-Keep the blinds and shades open during the day
to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed
at night.
-Change your ceiling fans switches to a clockwise
rotation. This allows the fans to bring the warmer
air down.
Cooling Tips
-Keep your thermostat set at 78 degrees or above
in the summer and spring months. Every degree below
78 increases your cooling costs by almost 10%.
-Turn on your fans. By turning on a fan, a room
can feel up 5 degrees cooler.
-Keep electrical devices away from your
thermostat. The device may increase the temperature
cause your unit to run longer than necessary.
-Plant trees or shrubs to shade and reduce the
heat around your house.
-Plant shrubs around air conditioning units,
careful not to block the airflow.
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